Last night I participated in the 2nd Session of the Blogging Hot Seminar Series on WordPress, hosted by Kelly McCausey.

The Guest Speakers were the dynamic duo twin sisters, Susan and Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom fame, who host the Ultimate Blog Party every year.  During the 2-hour webinar, there was a Q & A session, and topics covered included branding, marketing, SEO & online ecommerce, as well as monetizing your blog.

An added bonus was that links were provided to some fantastic sites offering information to build and promote your business or blog that even I wasn’t aware of!  And I get around the blogosphere!  Additionally, Susan and Janice even recommended experts to follow on Twitter.

For participating and tweeting during the webinar with the hashtag #hss, one lucky participant was going to win a FREE PASS to the remainder of the 9-week session.  And guess what!  The winner was ME!

One of my lucky readers or WAHMs is going to WIN this pass so that you too can get in on all the action for the remainder of the summer!  Just think how blazin’ your blog or online ecommerce store, Etsy store or eBay store will be come fall and winter, during the busy shopping season!

This is going to be a FAST Contest, so you’ll be able to catch the next seminar, which are hosted on Wednesday nights at 9 pm. EDT

Always wanted to learn how to blog on WordPress but were afraid it’s too hard? Are you a WAHM blogger who’s thinking of switching from Blogger to WordPress but hesitant to make the move? Don’t be! Sign up for this expert speaker webinar series!

Nine hot weekly webinars are planned, each one designed to help you up your blogging game and make better use of the WordPress blogging platform.

Mark all of the Wednesday nights on your calendar now before anything else comes up… this is a series you will not want to miss!

Nine hot weekly webinars, each one designed to help you up your blogging game and make better use of the WordPress blogging platform.

Current Speakers who’s name you’ll recognize from around the ‘Net and topics include:

• Choosing a Great WordPress Theme

• Amazing WordPress Plugins

• Guest Experts: Susan & Janice (Branding)

• Guest Expert: Traci Knoppe (WordPress Security)

• Guest Expert: Lynette Chandler (Internet Marketing)

• Guest Expert: Alexis Rodrigo (Freelance Options)

• Guest Expert: Lynn Terry (Quality Content)

• Guest Expert: Nicole Dean (Wrap-up How to get Maximum Profit for your Blog)
  

You’ll also receive access to view seminar session by video later or to download an Mp3 recording.

I’ll was there, and I hope you will be too!

For more information visit: WordPress Blogging Hot Seminar Series

Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a Free Pass to the remaining sessions of the 9-Week WordPress Blogging  Hot Seminar Series.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Let me know why you want to win this Free Pass and what you hope to learn from the webinar.

~ One Extra Entry: Become a Moomette’s Magnificents Facebook Fan and leave a comment on our wall with your thoughts on this giveaway.

~ One Extra Entry: Click the “Like” button on this post (top or bottom) and leave and leave your name in a separate comment

~ One Extra Entry: Follow and Rank Moomette’s Magnificents on Networked Blogs (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

~ One Extra Entry: Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect (sidebar)

~One Extra Entry: Tweet this giveaway and post the link in your comment- (may do this daily) 1 extra/day (50 Followers minimum to qualify for extra entry)

copy and paste to tweet

This contest will run until June 28, 2010 at  11:00 pm.

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

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Baby Lulu Boutique Fashions

Stretch Your Clothing Shopping Budget

Since Spring Fling week is happening, if you like to dress your kids in the latest boutique clothing without spending a fortune, it can be done easily if you scour eBay for the trendiest items.  Kids grow like weeds, and often only get to wear pricey items once or twice before they outgrow them.

As a former Power Seller on eBay (I now sell on Bonanzle) where I sold boutique children’s clothing, I’m going to spill my secrets, as boutique childrens clothing is no longer my focus.  This post is the first of a series, where first, I’ll show you HOW to find those American, European and Indie boutique items, and secondly, how to turn around and sell them – so in essence, your initial investment will drop considerably.

When my granddaughter, ‘Lil Moomette was born, I had a blast outfitting her in the most adorable, trendiest, expensive outfits, by both USA, European designer brand names.

How did I do this?  Like mommy blogger forums, I belonged to several different forums that specialized specifically in topics dealing with both buying boutique items at a low price, and then turning around and reselling those gently worn items back at the highest price.

There’s a science to it, and if you stay with me throughout this series, I’ll let you know how to do it.  This will be the “short version,” simplified series, because if you really want to know more, you’ll have to join those forums yourself.  I am no longer affiliated with any such forums, so there’s nothing in-it-for-me here, except to give my readers a little heads-up.

Selling for a profit on eBay is easy when you have kids. People are earning hundreds of dollars a month by selling kid related items. Here are some general ideas to help you get started.

Boutique Brand Items or Pageant Fashions to Look For on eBay or in Consignment Shops

Kids clothing is a good money maker on eBay or in consignment shops. First, you’ll want to know what the most popular boutique brand names are, and how you’ll be able to find them.

Some of the more famous brand names to look for are:

Zulily and Haven Gir; Corky and Company; Janie and Jack; Right Bank Babies; The Childrens Place; Totsy; bTrendie; Rothschild; Greggy Girl; Hartstrings, NAARTJie; Talbots Kids; Ladybug; Anthologyinc; Chezami; Jottum; Meli Meli; Boutique Miabambina Co.; Enchanted Enfant Courture; Will’beth;  Boutique IKKS; Amanda Remembered; Baby LuLu; Baby Nay; Bailey Boys; Balu; Bear Feet; Beaux Et Belles;  Beetlejuice; Cakewalk; Catimini; Chicken Noodle; Chipie; Chouchouter; Clayeux; Deux-par-Deux; Elefantenl; Gregory Girl; Hannah Banana; Hanna Andersson; Indygo Artwear; Jacadi; JM Originals; Jean Bourget; Jottum; Kissy Kissy (Small Sizes); La Mere Michele; Le Top; Lili Gaufrette Provence; Lilly Pulitzer; Lipstick; Little Mass; Luna Luna Copenhagen; Marese; Michael Simon; Mis Tee V Us; Mish Mish; Mullberri Bush; Munki Munki; Oilily; Oink Baby!; Orient Express; Petit Bateau; Petit Faune; Psketti; Room Seven; Rubbies; Sarah Louise (England); Sashal; Shilav; So Kiwi; Tea Collection; Tickles & Giggles; Toff Togs; Trish Scully; Za Za Couture; Zoodles; Elepantito and of course, any Custom Boutique Resell items.

Go to eBay and look up a “lot” of size six girl’s clothes. You’ll find that they’re expensive! The average price for a lot of 20 good conditioned clothes is about $35.00.   You can check recent completeds under the “Advanced” search function to get a feel for what the lots have been selling for.

Look for auctions or “Buy-It-Now” where the items are bundled into different lots by categories.  For example, bundled girls dresses, or bundled girls play clothes.  You’ll specifically want to look for bundled boutique items; perhaps not all the same brands will be bundled together, but you’ll find several different boutique brands mixed together.  Occasionally there will be a Baby Gap, Gap, or Gymboree brand mixed in with the lot. Look for items that have at least six each of different types.

Lots of any item can be acquired for a more reasonable cost than single items unless the item is unique or high priced. For example, a hand embroidered dress that is quite pricey  may be offered for sale by itself instead of bundled with other basic dresses.

Now is the time to start looking for those spring and summer boutique and brand-name items, as sellers will be looking to unload their childrens clothes, so that they can in-turn purchase new items for their kids wardrobes.

You can use these tips to start looking for fall back-to-school fashions, when eBay sellers will start listing in July or August.

Don’t forget to check out my post on shopping at Goodwill Industries for bargains too!

Stay tuned for more in this childrens fashion boutique series!  Subscribe to my Free Newsletter so you won’t miss out on my tips of the trade!

Let me know if you have any tricks or tips of your own that you’d like to share!

© 2010 Moomettes Magnificents

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Link to Your Mom Biz

Spring has arrived, and there are many Spring Flings going on around the blogosphere! Start your holiday shopping here!

As a Mompreneur, I understand the value of paying it forward.  I was a former eBay store owner where I sold boutique childrens clothing, and now sell vintage sewing patterns on Bonanzle, and welcome any free advertising that comes my way.

Looking To Be a Success Selling Online? Start By Selling Yourself!

Sure, everyone wants to sell their products online and make some decent money; but those who ultimately fail at it are usually the ones who don’t take the time to sell themselves right along with those products.

Why Do You Need to Sell Yourself?

It’s a hard idea to grasp, isn’t it? Actually it’s not when you think about it this way:

People tend to buy from those they have some level of trust with.

What Does it Mean to Sell Yourself?

Selling yourself is done through building relationships with those you intend to sell to. It’s important to create a bond with them to encourage a level of trust with you, so you can make the sale to them in the end.

To find your target market, you need to use outlets like the social media websites and message board forums that relate to your business site’s topic.

It’s also important to note that the relationship you build with your target market will need to be kept up; even after the sale. Your customers need to continue to have trust with you in order to keep coming back when they want to buy. This is easily done through your customer service skills and by providing them with excellent products.

Once you’ve introduced yourself to your targeted audience, you can begin getting to know them while they get to know you. The relationship you build through these outlets can be immeasurable when it comes to your business.

Whether you sell on Etsy, eBay, Bonanzle, your own website – if you’re a crafter, jewelry maker, butcher, baker or candlestick maker – I’d like to pay-it-forward and invite you and other WAHMs to leave your link to your mom-owned business on the Linky.

Please link ONLY to your mom-owned business. This is not a giveaway linky. You can list your Giveaways on the Giveaway Linky HERE.

Help promote your business and this post by Retweeting!

If you would like to Advertise here, I offer affordable rates for banner advertising for WAHMs.

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My Internet presence began back in 2007 when I became an eBay store owner specializing in vintage collectibles.  Since then I’ve changed venues and now sell on Bonanzle.  At that time, I was a moderator on an eBay Forum and participated in conversations where many members were becoming fledgling online sellers.

That trend continues today as many companies are now doing the majority or even all their business online and foregoing the “Brick and Mortar” storefront. It’s easy to see why that trend has happened. For example, the cost of setting up such a business is relatively inexpensive and easy. There’s no need to pay for the overhead of a physical building, while the cost of maintaining a web site is minimal. Moreover, the Internet provides a convenient and efficient way of marketing products. As more and more people are spending time on the Internet, the market of online customers continues to grow.

My late mother-in-law was a woman business owner of a gourmet emporium.  Over the years I had helped run her store and gained a business acumen of growing your business through establishing relationships with customers.  It’s important to get to know their likes, quirks and dislikes.

Yet when businesses shift from face-to-face customers to anonymous online customers, there’s a loss of that personal connection and trust. When running an online business,  how are you gaining and maintaining customer trust? What are you doing as an online vendor to communicate to your customers?

In an online world, business just doesn’t stop after hours and on weekends. What are you doing to answer your customer’s questions?

Here are a few things that you can do to improve communication with your customers:

1. Make certain that your Internet host is reputable and offers a fast and efficient business ethernet connection, as well as reliable cart support.

2. Offer a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and online product support information.

3. Add a support email link on your website for issues that can’t be resolved by you or your website support administrator

4. Provide a message board or forum for customers to voice their opinions, add comments, and interact with each other.

In today’s global economy, spending time and effort on better communication with your customers will pay off.  Whether you sell on Etsy or have your own company, in order to grow, your success will depend not on the customers you gain, but on the customers that you don’t lose.

photo credit: hospi-table

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Real Country Living

Long before I became a blogger, I was a Power Seller on eBay.  Although I no longer have a store, I still continue to sell on the auction site. I was also a Moderator on an eBay forum, where I met many wonderful people. Most of the members of the forum had eBay stores, so we shared a commonality.

If you’ve ever spent any amount of time on forums, you’ll know that sometimes you just “click” and hit it off with certain members.

In the past, I’ve touched on topics about tapping into your interests and hidden talent, and parlaying them into a career where you turn your interests into  a business.  Many readers or their families have become  victims of the current recession, and are actively seeking gainful employment.  Some, like me, are considering either retiring, or trying to determine a move to another career that will spark our interest – whether it  be something entirely different from what we’ve been doing in the past, or entirely new venture.

Perhaps you are off-ramping from corporate life to take time out to raise your children.

I have been inviting bloggers and writers on my Meet My Friend meme to share their ideas and experiences with my readers who are interested in becoming a mompreneur.

If you have a WAHM or Momepreneur topic of interest that you’d like to share and be a Guest Blogger on Moomette’s Magnificents, please contact me (see Contact tab above).

I’d like you to Meet My Friend -  Deena, from Real Country Living,  a work-at-home mom of 5 – although I no longer have an Ebay store, we still keep in contact, and both have become avid bloggers!

What amazed me about Deena is that she spoke so candidly of living out yonder in Montana – Big Sky Country! I like to think that I’m the City Mouse, and Deena is the Country Mouse!

On the forum, we discussed how easily it was for us “city folks” to find inventory, and Deena would speak as to how she would have to drive for miles on end and make a whole day excursion to locate inventory for her store!

I’ve never been farther west than Chicago, and just marvel at the photos that Deena shares of her lifestyle and beautiful part of the country!  You just have to go visit and see for yourself!  Follow Deena on Twitter @RealCountryGal

Thanks Deena for sharing with my readers

Hello and thank you to Cindi for inviting me to do a guest post here on the fabulous Moomette’s Magnificents!

My name is Deena and I am happily married to Wade, my husband and partner of almost 27 years now. We are blessed with five children; three boys and two girls.

After growing up in a number of cities throughout most of my childhood, I met and married my cowboy husband here in the heart of Montana. Wade was raised on the cattle ranch that we now own and operate.

Morphing from city girl into a country gal has been such an interesting and exciting journey. Being a mother and homemaker has been the most important and fulfilling job I could have asked for. I am also the Financial Specialist for the ranch and of these titles come with a ‘room and board’ salary!

Over the years I have searched for ways to contribute financially to our family and the ranch, but living 60 miles from town makes employment outside the home impractical and surely not profitable.

In my effort to earn money I’ve sold hand-crafted knitted and sewn items, taught piano lessons for 16 years and recently opened an eBay store, Mudder’s Little Spudders.  My passion though, is my website, Real Country Living, where we share the reality of our way of life to the world. RCL is very much an infant and has not quite reached its first birthday. There is much to do and more content to add, so this project will keep me very busy and happy for a long time!

I stumbled onto the idea of becoming a webmaster quite by accident and had no idea that l’il old me could pull this off with no training whatsoever. I love to tell about how I built my website, so pop on over if you’d like to hear more. Not only do I get to share my love of country living to anyone who wants to take part, but this website has also become an additional income source for my family. Doing something I adore, from my own home…sometimes in my PJ’s…is a dream come true!

Our eBay store is soon to be a standalone shop which branches from  RCL, so because of the impending transition, Mudder’s isn’t very stocked at the moment. The new e-store is in the works and will specialize in western wear old and new~ natural decorating elements like real Montana pine cones and wheat~along with a plethora of other country goodies.

Our new store name is the Montana Mercantile. Maybe Cindi will post an update when it is functional so you all can visit!

I’d love to hear from you, so use the ‘contact us’ form on Real Country Living to ask me questions or just let me know where you call home and what you’re doing! May my website provide pieces of country living that can be arranged into your own version of bliss!

And again, thank you, Cindi! You are an inspiration to all of us who are working hard to fulfill our dreams!

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It’s amazing how time passes, and here I am, scrambling to get together yet another Random Tuesday Thoughts post!

For more Random Tuesday Thoughts, don’t forget to visit (and be Shocked!) Keely over at The Un-Mom.

Besides babysitting every night after I get out of the dreaded cubicle, I babysat Saturday night while the kids went out to socialize. They have a social life, moi, apparently, does not.

Monday threw me all off, because ‘Lil Moomette was under the weather with a tummy bug, and I again, babysat all day – and did loads of laundry, because DD26 didn’t bring any changes of clothes for the kidlet.  My daughter’s hoping the kid doesn’t have Swine Flu – good grief, methinks – it’s just a Daycare bug, and besides, Slugger had it last week. Yes, I took care of him too.  Granny Nurse Ratched.

So, now that the house is quiet, I’m scrambling to collect my thoughts.  You think this post is boring so far?  Stick around to the end, and it might be worth your while to get to the end.  Good things happen to those who wait.

I try to follow all the advice of the best blogging pros out there – keep a notepad in the car, in my purse – write my thoughts down whenever I can.  Actually, I have more pieces of paper with thoughts on them than I have time to upload posts.

Anyway, it’ll give my family something to wonder about if I ever kick the bucket on them, and they’ll find all the Random pieces of scribbled thoughts and think, man, she really was crazier than we thought!

Well, I took all those pieces of paper and organized them in the new INPlace System by Peter Walsh that I’m hosting a Giveaway that ends tonight – so don’t forget to check it out and enter.

I really made a lot of progress this week, and am busy posting all my favorite recipes from my co-workers and friends that I’ve collected over time.  Every time I make these dishes, not only are they delicious, but it reminds me of the friends who’ve come and gone through my life, and the good times we had together – Joanne’s Strawberry Cake, Debbie’s Quiche (not quite yet, but watch for it).  This way I get to share them with my readers, but the underlying fact is now I’ll know where to find them – ha!

It’s probably not a good time of year now that school is out and people are starting to go on vacation, but for those of you who are day-tripping and still hanging around to read my blog, I have some goodies in store for you!

I’m still celebrating the redesign and re-branding of merging my 3 blogs together.  Blog and Web Designs by Shauna did a terrific job.  All the Reviews and Giveaways are now listed here, in addition to my WAHM and blogging resources.  Of course, my infamous  Rants will now be found not only under my category heading, but also under the Friday Frustrations meme and Veranda Chit Chat category here.

Now, for the good part!  Many of my readers know I closed my eBay Store and now sell on Bonanzle.  Bonanzle didn’t turn out (for me at least) to be the Next Best Thing, so I’m liquidating some of my inventory.

Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of:

NEW, WITH TAGS Retired VERA BRADLEY Small WINDSOR NAVY COSMETIC CASE TOTE .  This cosmetic case bag is one of VERA BRADLEY’S most popular patterns, and is now RETIRED and Hard-to-Find. ~Zip Closure ~Expandable base 9 Inches Wide 3.5 Inches Deep Purchased NWT from an Authorized Vera Bradley Dealer.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)

a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Go through my past archives which date back to 2007 when I first started blogging and find one of my posts and let me know the title, what it’s about, and WHY you chose it.

Now for extra entries (each task will get you 1 extra entry):

~One Extra Entry: Add my banner button to your sidebar or add me to your blogroll, and come back here and leave the link (I will be checking)

~One Extra Entry: Blog about the contest on your blog linking to my blog and the site

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Google Friend Connect (right sidebar) and let me know your name in a separate comment.

~ One Extra Entry: Become a Fan of Moomettesgram on Facebook and let me know your name in a separate comment.

~One Extra Entry: Favorite Moomette’s Magnificents in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment

~ One Extra Entry: Follow Me on Twitter and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.

~One Extra Entry: Tweet about this contest (Retweet button at bottom of post), and come back to this post and leave the URL link to the Tweet so I can check. You may Retweet once per day until the end of the contest, but please leave a separate comment for each Retweet, along with the permalink

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until June 29 at approximately 11:00 pm.

Winners are chosen by Random.Org, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

*Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

*Include your email if it’s not enabled.
*Open to USA and Canada Only
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid.

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In the short time since I’ve closed my eBay store and moved over to Bonanzle, I haven’t looked back at all!

Bonanzle is simply a runaway train, and is seriously going to be giving eBay a run for it’s money!  I’ve made several sales in less than a week (which as a past Power Seller, I consider a terrific turnaround time, since I’m new on the site.)

Always the researcher, I’ve been zooming around the ‘Net and am reading and liking more of what I’m seeing and hearing. I’m finding kudos about the site everywhere, from Twitter and Facebook to  Squidoo, as well as other Web 2.0 social networking sites.

Other Bonanzle sellers have been dropping into my booth to say ‘Hello‘ and introduce themselves, and I also have been visiting booths and ‘dropping my calling card’, favoring booths that I like, and ‘tagging’ items that I think are particularly ‘beautiful’; ‘cool’ ; ‘funny‘ or ‘well priced.‘

Not only is Bonanzle a selling marketplace, Bill Harding is trying very hard (and succeeding, I must say ~ congratulations for effort) in establishing a social networking site, to give a human element to an otherwise sterile and disconnected atmosphere that eBay never could duplicate.

Here’s what other blogs are saying:

Kims Corner:

Bonanzle Voted Best eBay Alternative of 2008

Thank you Bill, Mark and the other great minds who have given us all THE BEST eBay Alternative by far!

Red Ink Diary:

Bonanzle Makes a Million

Site succeeds by making people relevant to the transaction process

Day in the Life of An American Woman in Business

Let’s Talk About Bonanzle

Bonanzle recently reached a major milestone reaching the 1 million listing mark. It truly was all the buzz on twitter, in articles, and blogs, even one in French.

I’ve found many other sites that I’ll be writing about in upcoming posts where Bonanzle sellers can be found sharing their insider knowledge.

All these sellers have one common denominator ~ they couldn’t be happier with the decision they made to leave eBay!  They’re WAHMs, Baby Boomers like myself, Grandmoms, Dads ~ small sellers, not mega sellers.  The majority of the items being sold are unique, one-of-a-kind finds.

If you’re thinking of selling your hand-made items or collectibles, give Bonanzle a try!  If you’ve made the switch, what do you think?

Visit my Bonanzle Booth at: Moomette’s Magnificents

Leave a comment ~ I’d be happy to know!

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Bonanzle ~ WAHM Ventures Into New Online Marketplace ~

One of my new goals for 2009 as both a Work-at-Home Mom and a Baby Boomer trying to establish a supplemental source of income in order to retire,  was to phase out my eBay store and set up a new booth at Bonanzle, the latest online marketplace.

Over the past year, I’ve slowly liquidated much of my merchandise and my eBay store specialized  in strictly Vintage Collectibles ~ mugs, dinnerware, sewing patterns and boutique children’s clothing.

The changes that eBay implemented within the past year became just too much for me to keep up with. I couldn’t believe how much I am paying in Fees each month, just to maintain an online presence at this auction site. Whether I sell anything or not, the fees just keep racking up.

Despite what many of the eBay blogs and mainstream news articles I’ve been reading are saying, mainly, that people are supposed to be looking to eBay and Craigs List for bargains ~ I haven’t  seen an increase in my business.  The holiday shopping season sales this past year were very dismal in comparison to previous years.

Tonight I closed my eBay Store for good.

As an active member of Twitter, I found out about an alternative venue and marketplace, .

It’s premise is simple if you’re a Seller:

• Import Items from eBay or Craigs List

• Import Items with one click

• Import eBay Feedback

As a Buyer, you can search for items by categories, or those posted within the last 24 hours.

There are no fees to list your items or set up a booth.  Yay!  Fees are only incurred once you sell your wares.

Bonanzle accepts Paypal and other methods of payments, such as Google Checkout and Money Orders.

I was able to set up my booth in minutes, and it didn’t take long at all for Bonanzle to import my items from eBay.  The process couldn’t have been easier!  The FAQs and Help instructions are very easy to follow.

You can even create a special “Bonanza” to improve sales! What’s a “Bonanza”?

It’s a quick sale where everyone on the site is directed to your booth for a couple hours to get your stuff gone. Pick a day, start time, and duration below. Choose the items from your booth that you most want to include in the sale. Pick a discount price for those items. Then show up at your booth at the time you declared.

What does this new venue mean for me?  I can continue to sell the items I have a passion for ~ vintage collectibles, as  well as boutique clothing items.  I’ll continue to promote my new Bonanzle Booth in the manner I was promoting my eBay store ~ through widgets, Squiddo, Facebook, my blogs and Twitter.

The only difference I can see is that I won’t be paying fees unless something sells.  Hopefully, through viral marketing, the word will get out about Bonanzle and the Buyers will arrive!

I can’t believe I waited as long as I did to open a booth.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Bonanzle will give eBay any competition this year.  I’m thinking the answer will be “yes.”

What do you think, have you tried selling or buying on Bonanzle yet?

Visit my new booth at: Mooettesgram on Bonanzle

Related Posts:
End of the Beginning ~ Happy Trails to You, eBay

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Are you a Work-at-Home Mom or an Indie Designer of children’s clothing or toys? If you are, then listen up as big changes are in store that could affect your business and will be taking place on
February 10, 2009.

I was on Twitter last nite and came across a hashtag, #CPSIA and checked it out.  As of February 10th, a pending legislative mandate will no longer allow the sale of used kids clothing or toys unless they’ve been tested for lead and a host of other potentially hazardous materials.  You can follow the conversation on Twitter by following the hashtag #CPSIA.

This is a huge deal for WAHMs with their own websites, and will also affect eBay and Etsy sellers of childrens clothing. I have many indie designers of children’s clothing in my Moomette’s Magnificents Olde Towne Shoppes, and sell boutique clothing in my eBay store.

Not to mention the fact that businesses such as Goodwill and other thrift stores will be affected.

‘Lil Moomette’s mom, my DD26, is a huge fan of Once Upon a Child, a children’s clothing consignment store that sells upscale clothing and toys. OUAC is terrific source for finding gently used clothing for a fraction of the price, enabling families (and grandmoms) to save a few
dollars in today’s economically-challenged times.

You can find out more about what’s happening and try to help by visiting Cool Mom Picks.

For further reading, the LA Times has posted an informative article HERE.

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Awhile back when I first started I opened a Facebook account for public relation purposes to promote my eBay store, blogs, virtual assistant business as well as Shoppes.  I’d heard that it was advantageous to use for PR and social networking purposes.

It took me quite some time to put together a page, understand the mechanics of how it worked; join groups and make friends.  However, I didn’t visit it very often.  When I did log on one day I found my account was disabled.  At that point I was so exasperated, I decided not to bother with it any longer.  Apparently what happens is if one doesn’t log into their Facebook account often enough, it will become disabled.

However, the more I networked online, dropped Entrecards and saw that many of my Twitter friends were on Facebook, I decided to create another account.

Become a Fan of Moomettesgram on Facebook!

Commentary now shows that President-Elect Obama ran a successful campaign by using Facbook.

We hear about people creating Facebook pages and that someone found someone else on Facebook. But what exactly is Facebook all about and does it have any benefits for us?

Read on to find out about Facebook and if it indeed does something more than enhance your social life.

Facebook is one of the top ten Web 2.0 applications and social networking sites in the world. Started as a social experiment, Facebook was originally designed as a way for friends to keep in touch and create interesting profiles and pages for others to look at.

Many kids and college students latched on to Facebook. My two daughters are constantly on FB, keeping up with their friends from high school and college.  Members can upload pictures, leave messages on the profiles of others, and search for friends who have profiles. The problem with Facebook was the type of information people were uploading. College students uploading inappropriate videos at wild parties and such have caught on virally. This spoke to the poor judgment of the students as those videos would still be around when they grew out of the drinking phase and realized that it was no longer the “cool” thing to do.

Facebook is not just for the young teenagers and college students however. It is also a networking tool for business owners. It’s a great way to connect with other business owners and targeted potential customers. A plus for new businesses is that becoming a Facebook member is free. Every registered member gets a home page where they can then create a profile and add applications to their page for friends and other trusted users they designate to use.

If you work at home or are a WAHM or entrepreneur, you can use your Facebook profile to tell others all about yourself. Many times, businesses never really have a chance for potential clients to learn more about the person or people who run the business. More focus is put on advertising, growing the business and promoting its products or services. With a social networking page on social sites like Facebook, customers and other business associates get a chance to find out about the person behind the business.

Anyone can join or create a group on Facebook. These groups bring together like minded people according to business, personal, or other social factors. Groups talk to one another; share business tips and create a useful connection in many different ways.

Businesses use Facebook pages to showcase products or give customers a place to ask questions and record comments about the products they have used. They can talk to each other and compare notes. Big businesses with famous brand names use Facebook to gain insights into consumer trends.  As an example, the RSS feed from my blogs postings, Twitter account and eBay store is uploaded right to my Facebook page.

Facebook can be useful for communities trying to create a closer knit group of families. Homeschooling parents can create a network of support for each other and their kids. Facebook has a variety of uses both for business and personal reasons. So, now that you know more concerning Facebook, what will your page be about?

If you have an existing page, or will be creating a new page, don’t forget to friend request me here!

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